Nell McCafferty: We must worry again about abuse of girls

The evidence is that we do know but don't care about the global rise in trafficking of women and girls

It was my kind of bar. Tiny, dark, quiet, with photographs on the wall of Marlene Dietrich and Humphrey Bogart. And it was in Berlin. The bar also functioned as a pension. On the lookout for an even cheaper place to stay, I asked the cheerful barmaid the rate. "Ten euros per half hour", she said.

My companion, who had been outside on the phone, came in. "Ah," said the barmaid, still cheerful, "you want a room for her and you?" My hair turned a paler shade of white. "Oh," said the now apologetic barmaid, "you are her mother?" I was speechless. The now concerned barmaid turned to my companion: "Would your mother like a drink?"

"Tell her I take sugar," I said, recovering my composure. My new daughter played along. Two drinks later, we were learning the finer points of the business. That red-haired woman in the corner cleaned